Andrea Simon knew the horrifying stories her grandmother Masha told her of
life under Nazi rule in her village of Volchin in what is now Belarus. Several
years of family history were encapsulated in a handful of heroic and devastating
remembrances of the atrocities that occurred in that little village. Haunted by
these vivid images Andrea embarks on a pilgrimage to explore her roots.
Her investigation begins with an escorted tour to the area. She meets people who
remember her family and confirm much of what Masha told her. The intensity of
the experience takes on enormous proportions and Andrea's detailed investigation
gets underway.
Hard work and determination are in themselves not enough to get the job done.
Much of what she learns comes to her in ways that can only be described as
bashert or fate. The connections come as if an invisible hand was guiding
her efforts making Bashert the best possible title. Bashert is an emotional rollercoaster ride. I laughed heartily at some of
the family anecdotes, and I cried bitterly at the description of the horrific
executions of innocent men, women and children whose only crime was being
Jewish. I kvelled with Andrea when I learned of her family's bravery and
courage in the face of such horror and I mourned the senseless loss of so many
loved ones. Bashert is essential reading for anyone who has an interest in what might
be referred to as the smaller picture of the Holocaust. We are allowed to share
the experiences of loving families whose lives are torn asunder overnight. While
we are all aware of the horrifying misery that confronted Jews and other
minorities in the concentration camps and have heard of the vast courage of the
resistance fighters in the Warsaw ghetto, much of what occurred in the smaller
and often unknown villages inside Czarist Russia remains unreported. Bashert
opens our eyes to the personal story of a strong and determined young woman, who
lost her home and family, escaped the murderous Nazis, and found a new life in
America.
Masha will take a place in your heart as she did in her granddaughter's and mine
and create a pocket of warmth and pride that will forever remind you of how the
strength of one person can change the destiny of an entire family. I urge you to
read Bashert, but please be sure to have a hanky at hand.